Hello Tweets and other birders,

The Redwing at Olympia(in Washington State)was again well observed this morning between 8:30am-11:45am along the "usual" Thomas Street location just north of 4th Ave. by up to 25 birders. The bird was most readily observed foraging back and forth from a lone Holly clump to a Snow Bush along Thomas Street and remained very active at this location during the entire morning. The bird was never "flushed",harassed, or pursued in anyway of disturbing the bird by any of the observers,except on two separate occasions became alert by a Sharp-shinned Hawk,as well as a flyover adult Peregrine Falcon. During these occasions many of the birds either scattered or remained motionless in the trees and probably the most disturbed by the Sharp-shinned Hawk that flew intently through the location. Everyone that was at the location before 11:30am saw the Redwing well in spotting scopes,including many bystanders from the nearby church,etc. Birders in attendance away from Washington were noted from British Columbia,Oregon and at least one birder from California. We enjoyed visiting with several of the Oregon birders mainly from the Portland area,including Owen Schmidt,who obtained extensive video coverage of the Redwing. Owen will mostly likely present his coverage of the Redwing to an upcoming Portland Audubon Society meeting.The weather remained very dismal and gloomy most of the day and most of the localized bird diversity was encountered during the morning then slowing off after 11:30am,then again at 3pm.

Up to 12 birders reassembled and gathered at the Thomas Street location at 2:45pm and by 3pm many Am.Robins had returned from several unknown roosting locations,as we thoroughly checked for the Redwing. We remained until 4:15pm and up until that time the Redwing was not seen,as 9 birders remained at the location for a longer search as lighting conditions began to rapidly decline. Of additional note my mother and I located a single female Common Redpoll in the alleyway south of 4th Ave. between Cushing and Milroy Streets. This bird was observed at 2:15 and was coming to a seed feeder with a group of 15 Pine Siskins at the same residence than noted last week on the 5th and 6th of January by several birders and most likely the same individual. There were scattered flocks of other Pine Siskins in the immediate area,as well.



Good Redwing searching,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net